


Cliff's Edge

by jennacide



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: (rating and tags will be edited as more chapters go up), Anal Sex, Biting, Blowjobs, Choking, First Time, High School AU, Hux has really bad anxiety, Kissing, Kylo Is Super Emo, M/M, Phasma is a bro, Super Emo, handjobs, his dad is an ass, things that will be included:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 11:11:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6421636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennacide/pseuds/jennacide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phasma placed her hands over her heart. “It’s like the start of a rom-com,” she mock-whispered, tilting her face up towards the ceiling and widening her eyes dramatically. “He, the uptight and proper valedictorian, and the other he, a dark and brooding bad boy who’s determined to bring out the valedictorian’s inner... saucy minx.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to apologize for not posting anything in a while; I signed up to participate in the Kylux Big Bang and that story has been taking all of my time, as well as another domestic au one-shot that should maybe be up within a week or so!  
> I'd like to give a shout out to the album ["Glitterbug"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e-f2HPl0P8) by the Wombats- it gave me a lot of inspiration.  
> Title comes from the song ["Cliff's Edge"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZfCUM1uyvw) by Hayley Kiyoko. The whole song basically boils down into what my overall vibe for this story is. (Also the title is really suitable for stressed and anxious Hux)  
> 

Hux furrowed his brow in concentration. “No, that can’t be right….” He tapped his pen on the corner of his mouth, absently sliding it in and chewing on it. Sliding his other hand into his hair, he slumped on his side, sighing dejectedly. “I’m never going to figure this out.”   
  
“That’s what you always say,” Phasma quipped from her spot across the table. “But then it clicks and you barely try and get an A.” She paused. “While I have to spend hours on one problem only to come in second.”

Hux peered up over his arm at his friend- well, the books surrounding her. Roughly a dozen books were spread open to various pages, and Phasma had her nose buried on one while simultaneously flipping through another and scribbling down notes in a third. It was almost comical, but Hux knew better than to let Phasma know how she looked. The girl was two inches taller than him and had the muscle to knock him into next week if she wanted.

“But I don’t  _ get _ it,” Hux whined, leaning his body forward so that he lay draped across the table, hands weakly flapping at Phasma’s. “Help meeeeeeeee.”

Phasma paused her ceaseless note-taking and frowned at Hux. “How about you try cracking open a book?” She gestured to the shelves surrounding them. “Or there’s this magical new invention called Google than could help you understand.” She batted Hux’s hand away. “Now hush, small one.”

Sticking his tongue out immaturely, Hux sat up straight again. “ _ Fine,  _ thank you for all your help.” He stood up and straightened his beige sweater vest, swinging his black messenger bag over his shoulder. Collecting his notebook and pens, he began to walk away. “Pick you up after practice?” he asked, pausing and looking back over his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” she replied absently, running one hand through her short blonde hair and roughly tousling it. “See you then.”

Hux smiled and turned around- and smacked face-first into someone.

“Ouch!” Hux cried out, notebook falling to the floor along with his pens as he brought his hands up to tenderly feel his face. 

“Watch where you’re going,” a deep voice growled at Hux. “Here.” 

Hux felt his notebook being jammed into the hand no longer clutching at his (most likely) swollen forehead. He blinked several times and looked up through bleary eyes at whoever he’d collided with. 

Black was all he saw at first, the man’s visage swimming before him. Black boots, black pants, black jacket, black hair. But shockingly white skin, which created a striking dichotomy. Dark eyes peered down at him from a face of strategically slapped freckles, the slightest hint of concern noticeable. His eyes were lovely. 

“I- I’m sorry,” Hux stuttered out, accepting the hand offered to him. The boy he’d knocked into- Hux’s vision had cleared enough to identify his features- was Ben Solo. Or “Kylo Ren,” as he’d rechristened himself several years ago, opting to lose any association with his family.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kylo replied, shrugging his backpack over one broad shoulder and hunching slightly. “Just be more aware of where you’re going.” He began to make his way towards the towering shelves of books. 

“No, wait,” Hux said, and reached out to grab the long sleeve of Kylo’s jacket. 

Kylo raised his eyebrows at him incredulously, looking from his jacket, to Hux’s face, and back again. “Yeah?”

Realizing he had no legitimate reason for requesting Kylo’s presence to remain with him a bit longer, Hux let go of the sleeve like it had burned him, fighting to keep his embarrassment from revealing itself on his face. “Nothing,” he mumbled, turning away to pick up his pens from where they still rested on the floor. When he raised his head again, Kylo was gone, having slunk off into the depths of the library. 

Cocking his head to the side and frowning, Hux hurried out of the quiet room and into the blessed noise of the corridors. The bell was scheduled to ring in several minutes, and dozens of free-period seniors were already flitting through the halls, anxious to get to their cars before the waves of underclassmen were released. Hux, however, had track practice to attend, and didn’t have the luxury of simply going home.

Rolling his head around his neck, Hux tramped down the stairs that led to the boy’s locker room and kicked the door open with his foot, relishing the sharp “crack” it made as it struck the stone wall. He made his way to his locker and swiftly undid the padlock, opening the door and tossing in his messenger bag in one fluid motion. He stripped down to his black boxer briefs, neatly folding his regular clothes and placing them atop his bag before pulling on his gym clothes. 

The underground room was always damp and slightly chilly, even in the warmer seasons. Hux shivered slightly in his breezy shorts and tank top, but knew he’d warm up once he was outside, running around on the track. He slammed his locker shut and relocked it before jogging towards the door that led to the field.

Breathing deeply, Hux ran laps. For him, running was more than just a way to participate in a sport; it was really the only relaxing experience he got during the day. While he ran, nothing else mattered. He didn’t have to think about his classes or his upcoming graduation, certainly not his speech, and all thoughts of college flew out of his head. He could even stop seeing his father’s disapproving glare.

However, he couldn’t get that wretched scowl to go away. Kylo Ren’s face was seared into his corneas, and he briefly entertained the notion of burning them out with bleach. Flaring his nostrils, Hux pumped his arms just a little faster and stretched his legs just a little farther, as though if he ran far enough, he could stop thinking about Ren. Stop thinking about how long he’d been thinking about him. 

Gasping for breath, Hux veered off the track and collapsed on the grass, his heartbeat pounding furiously in his ears. The sky swirled above him, pale blue, without a hint of clouds. Sunlight poured down on his body, making him feel fuzzy and warm. He’d pushed himself too hard and he knew it, but the burn in his lungs and the ache in his legs was a blessed distraction. 

Swallowing harshly, Hux closed his eyes and shook his head. He  _ hated _ himself for the way he felt. It disgusted him, honestly. Kylo Ren was a petulant, selfish child, prone to fits and tantrums. Since the two had started school together, several years earlier, Hux had seen him throw books, yell at his teachers, even go so far as to flip a lunch table once. How he was even still enrolled mystified Hux. 

Groaning, Hux drew himself up and sat slumped over in the grass. He stretched his legs out in front of him and reached out with his arms to touch his toes. His breath began to come out more evenly, and his heartbeat gradually slowed down to a less frantic tempo. As he did his cool-down stretches, he also practiced his breathing. Inhaling deeply, he imagined all the stress and frustration and tension filling up inside his chest. On the exhale, he let it all go. 

His chest began to burn as he continued breathing out, trying to expel every last bit of tainted oxygen. Face turning red with the effort, he finally gave up, falling onto his back again and gasping. 

_ I hate this _ , Hux thought. He closed his eyes.  _ I hate  _ him. 

\---

When Hux trotted back into the locker room after another half-hour of running and weight training, he noticed that he smelled  _ awful. _ Curling up his face in disgust, he grabbed a towel and went to the showers, shucking off his clothes as he went and leaving them in a pile on the floor. Normally he’d take more care, but it was Friday; he had to take them home and wash them anyway.

The shower was very old, having been built the same time as the school and never once renovated. Only a handful of the showerheads worked, and they were, blessedly, spaced out pretty evenly through the enclosement, eliminating any awkwardness when the guys were all showering after P.E. or practice. Since he’d stayed after to get in some extra time with the hand weights, Hux was the only one left in the locker room. Which meant he could shower in peace.

When the hot water splashed out of the faucet and struck him in the face, Hux let out a heady sigh of contentment. His knotted muscles relaxed as the water dripped down past them, warm fingers soothing his body. Dragging his fingers through his wet hair, Hux arched his back and tilted forward into the spray. He was the only one around, so he’d be damned if he didn’t take full advantage of the free water.

Twisting the knob off, Hux grabbed his towel from the bench and loosely wrapped it around his waist. It hung dangerously low on his abdomen, displaying the spray of orange hair trailing down the valley between his jutting hipbones. Humming a little march to himself, he ambled over to his locker- and nearly yelped when he saw Phasma lounging on one of the benches, eating chips and scrolling through her phone.

“Hey, buddy,” she quipped brightly, waving the salt-covered fingers of one hand at Hux. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Hux snapped, throwing Phasma a scowl. 

She let out a bark of laughter in return, locking her phone and slipping it into her bag. She rolled down the top of the chip packet and also tucked it away. “What was I supposed to do, go into the shower and let you know that I’m waiting?”

“Yes,” Hux replied shortly, stalking to his locker and undoing the lock. He yanked it open and snatched his clothes. “That or even just a ‘Hey, Hux, I’m in here, so make sure you come out with a towel on, buddy!’ Not that difficult.” Turning his back to his friend, he shoved first one leg, then the other, into a clean pair of briefs. Facing her again, he bent at the waist and used his towel to vigorously dry his hair. “You’re going to be the death of me yet.”

Phasma smiled and shrugged. “I’d be more worried of your atrocious driving killing you.” She sat up a little straighter. “Speaking of, are we going to get some food before going home?”

Having slipped on his pants, Hux was now working on his shirt. He slipped it on over his shoulders and began to button it. “If you want to, sure. Did you have anywhere in mind?” Shooting Phasma a glare, he continued, “And you better watch what you say about my driving, or else you can walk home.”

Uncrossing her legs, Phasma stood up and hooked her purse around her elbow. “I don’t know, maybe Chinese? Or a pizza?” Her eyes lit up. “Dude, we should get one of the stuffed crust pizzas from Pizza Hut and some breadsticks.”

Hux nodded, first at the floor as he finished closing his last button and then at Phasma’s face. “Yeah, that sounds like it could work.” He picked up his sweater vest, considering if it was worth the effort to put it on. Deciding against it, he shoved the article of clothing into his bag and then slung it across his shoulder, nudging his locker shut with his hip in the same movement. As the two friends walked out of the locker room, Hux asked, “Should we grab some drinks and take the pizza to my house?” 

“Hell yeah!” Phasma exclaimed. She held open the door for Hux, who bobbed his head in thanks. “Do you think-” she paused- “that your dad would be okay with letting me spend the night?”

Laughing, Hux rooted around in his bag for his car keys. “Yeah, he’s actually gone this weekend on a business trip or something. I don’t know, he left me a note this morning before he left.” Pulling out the keys, he unlocked his car and climbed in the driver’s seat.

Phasma walked around to the passenger’s side, speaking as she went: “He didn’t even wake you up? Just a  _ note _ ?” She yanked her door shut, perhaps a little harder than she’d intended. “I hate your dad,” she stated bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Buckling his seatbelt, Hux motioned to Phasma’s. “Same. Now buckle up.” Sighing heavily, Phasma complied. “ _ Thank you _ .” Putting the car in reverse, Hux turned his head and backed out of the parking spot, before shifting to drive and heading out of the parking lot. “I love you very much and I would rather not have you die if we got into an accident.”

Phasma rolled her eyes. “I thought you told me not to worry about your driving.”   
  
“An accident wouldn’t necessarily be my fault! Have you ever heard of ‘sharing the road’?”

On the way to the restaurant, Phasma called to order their pizza and breadsticks. (“We don’t need a distracted driver,” she smirked at Hux.) After she’d told Hux what the total would be, she offered to pay, but Hux just waved her off.

“Nah, I got it,” he stated, intently watching the road as he turned onto a new street. “You can buy the soda if you want, though.”

Phasma nodded in response, turning up the radio. 

After ten more minutes, the two pulled into Pizza Hut’s parking lot. It was surprisingly empty for a Friday night, and the friends practically sprinted inside, hoping that their order might already be filled. 

There was only one other person in the front of the restaurant, presumably waiting for a pizza. Hux and Phasma sat on the opposite bench. 

A girl came out from the kitchen, holding two large pizza boxes. “A vegetable and a cheese? Large?” She looked back and forth from Hux and Phasma to the third person. 

“That’s me,” the hulking mass of black interjected, standing up. 

Hux felt his brain short-circuit.  _ That- that’s Kylo, isn’t it? _ When the person came into the light, Hux knew without a doubt. His strong nose in profile, the poofy cloud of hair.  _ Not to mention the all-black clothes, Jesus, that should've tipped me off right when we walked in.  _

“That'll be thirty-one dollars and eighty-two cents, please,” the girl quipped, handing over Kylo’s pizzas to him. 

“Keep the change,” he mumbled, giving her several bills from his wallet. When he turned to slink away, he caught Hux’s eye. “Hux, Phasma,” he said, inclining his head at them briefly. “Hope you have a good weekend.”

“Thanks, Kylo!” Phasma responded, giving him a bright smile. Hux just swallowed and nodded his head. His shirt felt too warm- why hadn't he worn a t-shirt? Or nothing?

But then Kylo was gone, the jingle of the bell the only indication that he’d been there. Hux let out a breath he hadn’t even been aware he was holding, which wasn’t lost on Phasma.

“You okay?” she queried, turning her head towards Hux and arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Hux laughed briefly. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you about what happened after I left you at the library today.” Blushing a bright red, he recounted what had gone down that afternoon. “And I don’t know  _ how _ you couldn’t’ve seen it,” he finished. “You were, like, two feet away from me.”   
  
Phasma wiped a tear of laughter from her eye and clapped Hux on the shoulder. “I cannot believe you did that, oh, my God.” She ran a hand through her hair, brushing it out of her eyes. “I wish I could’ve filmed it.”

Hux shook his head in embarrassment. “And  _ then _ I grabbed his sleeve, like to apologize or something and he just gave me this glare, like, ‘How  _ dare _ you touch the royal arm’.”

“Why would his arm be royal, though?”   


“I dunno!” Hux threw his arms up into the air. “Maybe because he always acts so cold and aloof, like he’s better than everyone.” He hesitated. “Like he’s a prince, I don’t know.”

Phasma’s eyes lit up. She grinned and leaned in close to Hux “You think he’s hot, don’t you?”

“What?” Hux sputtered, eyebrows shooting so far up that they were in danger of getting lost in his hair. “N- no, I don’t!”

Phasma gave him a knowing look. “Hux, my darling friend, light of my life- you are many things, but a good liar is  _ not _ one of them.” Hux opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by the same girl from before re-emerging from the kitchen.

“I’m assuming this belongs to you guys.” She motioned to the box. “Stuffed crust vegetable with a side order of breadsticks.”

“Yes, it does,” Phasma said, standing up and taking long strides forward. She gently took the pizzas from the girl, smiling down at her warmly. “Thank you very much-” she glanced at the girl’s name tag- “Tina.”

Tina smiled back, seemingly a little dazed. “Yeah, y-you’re welcome.” Blinking several times, she turned to the cash register. “Um, it’ll be, um- s-seventeen dollars and seventy-eight cents, please.”

Hux popped out from behind Phasma. “I can take care of that.” He pulled his debit card out of his wallet and handed it over. The girl thanked him and swiped his card. “Come on, Phas,” Hux said, once his card was back in his wallet and his wallet was tucked away in his pocket.

“Have a good night,” Phasma said in earnest, walking backwards away from Tina before turning and following Hux out the door and into his car. 

“Thanks, you too!”   


“Did you hear that?” Phasma asked, her eyes wide and smile even wider. 

Hux opened the backseat and gestured for her to set the pizza down. She did, and continued to speak:  

“Oh man she was super cute.” Phasma smacked Hux on the shoulder, who was bent over and buckling the pizza into a seat belt. “Wasn’t she?”

Drawing back from the car, Hux frowned up at Phasma. The two made eye contact for several long seconds before the taller smacked the shorter’s shoulder for a second time. “Was she not cute?”

“Yes, she was cute,” Hux snapped, exasperated. He reached out and patted Phasma on the cheek. “And yes, before you ask, you did make her blush.”

“Yeah!” Phasma growled, pumping her fist in the air. “One step closer to achieving my goal.”

Hux rolled his eyes and opened his car door. “Close the backseat and get in the car.” 

\---

“Come on, admit it.”

“No!” Hux exclaimed. He turned to face Phasma and brandished his slice of pizza at her. “I don’t  _ like _ him, so quit asking before I slap you with this.”

“Then why were you so weird when we saw him before?” Phasma pushed, verbally as well as physically, giving Hux a sharp shove in the arm.

Hux sighed and set his pizza back in the box that was open before them on his bed. “Kylo himself is kind of intimidating, you know? He’s always wearing black, and he has all that  _ hair _ , and his features are sorta scary sometimes.” Phasma opened her mouth to interject, but Hux held up a finger to stop her. “I had  _ also _ just smashed head-first into his shoulder not three hours beforehand. So, yeah, I was gonna feel a little awkward around him.”

Phasma placed her hands over her heart. “It’s like the start of a rom-com,” she mock-whispered, tilting her face up towards the ceiling and widening her eyes dramatically. “He, the uptight and proper-” (Hux let out a laugh at that, against his better judgement) “-valedictorian, and the  _ other  _ he, a dark and brooding bad boy who’s determined to bring out the valedictorian’s inner-” she raised an eyebrow and zoomed in to bring her face right up next to Hux’s- “ _ saucy minx. _ ”

Hux’s face split in half as he let out a loud guffaw. “Oh, my God,  _ shut up. _ ” He grabbed one of his pillows and tossed it at her. “You’re  _ such  _ an asshole.”

Grinning, Phasma picked up the pillow and chucked it back at Hux. “ _ You _ shut up, you know that’s exactly what you want to happen.”

Hux rolled his eyes and bopped Phasma over the head with the pillow. “Yeah, that’s what I want. I want  _ Kylo Ren _ .” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

Phasma shrugged and took a slice of pizza from the box. “Stranger things have happened,” she mumbled through a mouthful of cheesy crust and vegetables. 

“Yeah, well, whatever.” Hux grabbed the remote and turned the volume up on the television. “It’s Friday night and we don’t have to do anything for the next two days, so I’d like to eat some pizza and watch crappy movies and not think about anything.” To emphasize his point, he picked up his slice and took a vicious bite from it. “Capiche?”

Phasma giggled and flopped onto her back, pulling a blanket up over herself. “Capiche.”

\---

As Hux listened to the steady deep breathing of Phasma next to him, he thought about what she’d said earlier. He knew she’d been joking, but her words had come dangerously close to the truth. 

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He placed his hands on his gut, feeling the thick rope of tension coiled in the pit of his stomach. Anxiety coursed through his veins, and his frantic heartbeat thundered so loud that he wondered how Phasma could be sleeping through it. 

“Fuck,” he whispered. He massaged his aching abdomen; he felt like he was going to throw up.  _ “Fuck _ ,” he hissed, with a little more force. He was  _ definitely _ going to throw up. 

Slipping out of bed, Hux padded out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom adjacent to the guest room. He had his own toilet attached to his bedroom, but he didn’t want to risk waking up Phasma. 

Falling to his knees in front of the toilet, Hux gripped the bowl until his fingers turned white. Pushing up from his diaphragm, he heaved until he felt a burn in his throat and heard the sickening splatter against the water. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the evidence of his failure. 

_ “Puking, Brendol, really?” Hux’s father sneered down at him. “You’re so pathetic.” _

Hux clenched his eyes shut as hard as he could, little starbursts and constellations blooming up on the backs of his eyelids. His stomach lurched again, and once again he vomited. 

He tried for several more minutes to clear out his cramped and painful stomach, but could only dry-heave. Dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, he staggered to his feet and flushed the toilet. Clutching at the basin of the sink, he stared at his reflection. 

_ Pathetic. _

Swallowing harshly, Hux noticed the acrid taste in his mouth. He rummaged through the medicine cabinet until he found a bottle of mouthwash. Taking a gulp, he swished it around his mouth before spitting it out into the sink. He turned on the tap and watched as the water washed away the swirls of pale green.

Flicking off the light, Hux tiptoed back down the hall to his bedroom. Trying not to shake the bed too much, he lifted up his blankets and slipped underneath them. Phasma’s back was facing him, and he watched the rhythm of her chest rising and falling with the tempo of her even breaths. The sight and sound was soothing, and Hux felt his nausea begin to abate.

A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over his mind, and, grateful for both it and the presence of his best friend, Hux wriggled his way forward until his chest was pressed against Phasma’s back. He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled his face into her shoulder.

“Ah.. I love you, Hux…” Phasma slurred, clumsily reaching to slide her fingers into his.

“Love you, too,” Hux whispered, squeezing her hand. He closed his eyes, the wave grasping at his mind and finally dragging him down into the blessed depths of unconsciousness. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like the universe is out to get Hux, throwing whatever it can at him in the shortest amount of time possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man okay WOW so I want to apologize for not posting this sooner. It's been done for about a month now but I've been so busy lately. I (finally) made friends at my school and entered a relationship, which has been taking up a lot of my free time. He's really great, his name is Caleb :) But yeah, so I'm finally posting chapter 2, and I've started work on chapter 3. I'm going to apologize in advance, though, because I know it won't be done for a while. Thanks for sticking with me!!!!

The weekend passed quickly. Far too quickly than Hux would have liked. It seemed that the closer he got to graduation, the faster the days went. Like they were determined to give him even less time for relaxation than the dwindling amount he allotted himself each day.

He woke up bleary-eyed and groggy Monday morning. Rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand, he winced at the bright light pouring through his thin curtains and the shrill beep of his alarm clock. Why had he woken up so early? 

_ Shit, that’s right. _ He groaned and let his head fall back against his pillow.  _ Special meeting with Snoke. _ Sighing heavily, he sat up and flung the blankets off his legs. Picking up his phone from where it rested on his nightstand, he slid the lock screen to the side, which effectively shut off the alarm. He swung his legs out in front of himself and hopped out of bed.  _ Fuck, why did he have to make it so early? _

After showering and getting dressed, Hux tramped down the stairs. The housekeeper, a wrinkled and shriveled old woman named Maz, was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea and reading the newspaper. When she saw Hux come barrelling into the kitchen, she jumped out of her chair.

“Good morning, darling,” she croaked, delivering Hux a warm smile. “Would you like anything for breakfast?”

Hux smiled back. “No, I actually have to get going; I have a meeting with the principal this morning.” He plucked an apple from the bowl on the counter. “But thank you!” He bent and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. 

Maz patted him on the cheek. “There’s a nice boy.” She settled back into her spot. “Have a good day at school,” she called out as he headed towards the front door.

“I’ll try!” he yelled back, slipping out the door and closing it behind him. Climbing into his car, he latched his seatbelt and pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text to Phasma, letting her know that he was on his way, and then tossed it onto his bag, which was resting in the passenger’s seat. 

The drive to Phasma’s house was always pretty short, but it was even quicker this early in the morning. She lived several blocks over, still in the same elegant neighborhood as himself, but her dwelling was more of a large house than a mansion, and her neighbors were nowhere as near as wealthy as Hux’s.

Hux pulled up to the curb in front of Phasma’s house and glanced up at the pale structure. The front door opened and out came Phasma, a cup of coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other. Noticing that she wouldn’t be able to open the door by herself, Hux stretched across the seat and pulled the handle, unlatching the door.

“Thanks,” Phasma muttered, nudging the door the rest of the way open with her foot. “Hold these.” Hux took Phasma’s coffee and muffin from her, watching as she sat down and shoved her backpack on the floor in between her feet. Taking back her food and drink, Phasma took a large bite from her muffin and chewed it listlessly, gazing out the window.

“You alright?” Hux asked, flicking on his blinker and pulling away from the curb.

Phasma turned her head to look at Hux, her expression blank. “It’s six-thirty in the goddamn morning,” she whispered, her voice soft. “ _ Six-thirty _ .” Facing forward again, she took a sip of coffee. “It’s too early for this shit.”

Hux nodded. “I feel ya.” He patted her on the knee.

Living out in the suburbs, it was a thirty-minute drive into the city to their school. Hux attempted to start a conversation with Phasma more than once, but each time she would just ignore him, letting out an uninterested grunt which meant, “Stop talking before I stab you, Hux.”

When they finally arrived at school, Hux glanced at the clock.  _ 7:10. _ “Come on, Phas,” Hux roused, nudging Phasma with his shoulder. “We’ve got five minutes to get to Snoke’s office.”

Phasma groaned and let out a sigh of biblical proportions, but she sat up straight and unbuckled her seat belt. “This had better be something really important,” she grumbled, dragging herself out of Hux’s car and throwing her backpack over her shoulder. “I might slap him in his wrinkled, old face otherwise.”

\---

“Brendol and Gwendoline, ah, yes, come in if you will.”

Hux and Phasma exchanged quick glances at each other, rolling their eyes. Neither of them prefered to go by their given names, a fact that none of their teachers seemed to catch on to. Taking a seat in front of Snoke’s desk, Phasma let her bag fall to the floor with a dull thud. Hux, sitting down next to her, set his bag down as well, albeit in a far quieter manner. 

Snoke cleared his throat and clasped his hands in front of himself. He peered over his glasses at the two, something like pride showing in his eyes. “How are you two this morning?”

Hux smiled and bobbed his head enthusiastically. “Oh, terrific, Principal Snoke. How about yours-”

“Tired,” Phasma cut in bluntly. She took another sip of her coffee. “I don’t mean to be rude, sir, but it  _ is  _ Monday morning.”

Snoke smiled tightly. “I should get right to the point then, shouldn’t I?” He steepled his fingers and brought them up to rest beneath his chin. 

“You, Brendol, and you, Gwendoline, are the valedictorian and salutatorian of your graduating class. That is a great honor, and one that doesn’t come without some responsibility attached to it.

“It is unfortunate that this school has several students who, as of right now, are not on track to graduate with their classmates.” Snoke pointed at Hux with one hand and Phasma with the other. “I believe that with the help of you two, their grades can be brought up to reflect the intelligence that I know each of them is harboring.”

Phasma furrowed her brow and raised her head to look at Snoke. “You want us to be tutors?” 

“Precisely!” Snoke exclaimed, and Hux could feel the irritation rolling off of Phasma in waves. He understood how she felt. Neither of them had gotten to where they were through sheer luck; they’d worked for years to reach the highs they were currently riding on. And now Snoke wanted them to take time out of their already busy days in order to help some kids who probably didn’t even care about their grades in the first place. All so the prestigious First Order Academy could maintain its record of having a one hundred percent graduation rate.

“When do you want us to do this?” Hux asked, his head beginning to ache. 

“Eighth period. I know you both have a free period, and as it would happen, so do the others.”

Hux nodded, briefly. “Alright. And every day?”

“Yes, until their grades are up to C’s at least.” Snoke smiled. “I’m positive that this will be no trouble at all for students of your caliber.” 

Hux swallowed harshly. His chest was feeling tight and hot and he was grateful for denying Maz the opportunity to fix him breakfast. His heart raced and his palms tingled unpleasantly. He wanted to go lay down.

“No, sir, I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” Hux took as quiet of a deep breath as he could manage. “Who, uh, who will we be in charge of tutoring?” he asked, his mouth feeling dry.

Snoke once again folded his hands in front of himself. “Well,  _ you _ are going to be helping the one who needs it the most- Ben Solo.”

Hux’s vision blurred and went white for a second, and a tinny buzzing filled his ears. He could  _ see _ Snoke’s mouth moving, but he couldn’t actually hear anything the man was saying. His gut twisted unpleasantly, and he hunched over a little in his chair. Snoke was talking to Phasma now, but Hux still couldn’t make out a sound other than the roar of blood rushing through his head. 

_ Oh, no. _

\---

“Hey, are you okay?” Phasma murmured to Hux as they exited Snoke’s office. She paused and put her hand on Hux’s shoulder, turning him to face her. “You don’t look good.”

“Hm?” Hux blinked several times and glanced up at Phasma. The obvious concern on her face made him feel guilty. “No, no, I’m fine,” he assured her, letting out a small smile. Pulling his apple from his bag, he held it up. “I just didn’t eat any breakfast today. I’ll be okay.”

Phasma still looked troubled, but she knew better than to bug Hux about certain things. If he said he was fine, he was fine, and no amount of poking or prodding would change that. 

“Alright,” she said uneasily, pulling Hux in for a brief hug. Releasing him, she tousled his hair and lightly punched his shoulder. “See you next period.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Hux responded, watching as Phasma turned and walked away. Placing a hand on his stomach, he hurried to the nearest bathroom and banged open a stall door. Closing and leaning against it, he tilted his head back and inhaled as deeply as he could, trying to calm down.  _ I can’t do this _ , he thought, his eyes stinging.  _ No, I can’t help him. _

The sound of the door squeaking open resounded through the bathroom. Hux sniffled and wiped a hand across his face, hoping it wasn’t red or puffy. He unlatched and opened the stall door, then instantly wished he hadn’t. For the third time in as many days, Kylo Ren was lurking around, just waiting to startle Hux. 

“Hey, Kylo,” Hux said, plumping up his cheeks in a slight grin. He walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, washing his hands and then splashing some water on his face.

“Good morning,” Kylo muttered. He was standing in front of a sink as well, but was doing nothing other than staring at his reflection in the mirror. As Hux ran his hands under the warm water, he spared Kylo a cursory glance.

His dark jeans were faded almost to grey in some places, and his boots were absent, replaced by some beat-up sneakers. Layers of long sleeved shirts and a black jacket covered with patches clad his arms and torso. Thick, raven-colored hair hung long and heavy around his brooding face, wavy and curling up at the ends. Hux tore his eyes away and stared at his hands instead.

“You’re here early,” he stated, trying to break the silence.

Kylo shifted to face Hux. “Yeah, I had to meet with Snoke.” He gestured in the direction of the principal’s office. “I actually just got done talking with him, and, um,” he swept his long fringe out of his face, “you’re going to be tutoring me or something?”

Hux cleared his throat and shut off the faucet. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.” He chuckled awkwardly. 

“Sweet.” Kylo stepped away from the sink and walked over towards a urinal.

Hux gulped and his eyes widened.  _ Oh, boy. Nope. _ He began to edge his way away from the bank of sinks and out of sight of the urinal. He was almost free and clear when he heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being undone and the rustling of clothes shifting. 

“I’ll meet you in the library during eighth period, yeah?” Kylo called over his shoulder at Hux.

“Yup!” Hux squeaked, reaching the door and charging through. “I’ll see you then!” The last sentence came out as a rushed flurry of sound, and he doubted Kylo understood a word he had said. But he wasn’t about to go back and clarify.

However, the short encounter with Kylo, despite being awkward and embarrassing, had abated some of his anxiety.  _ Well, maybe helping him study won’t be so terrible after all, _ he thought hopefully.

\---

When the bell rang for the end of seventh period, everyone but Hux and Phasma hurried out the door as fast as they could. Phasma reluctantly got up from her desk and Hux literally dragged his feet out the door.

“At least you only have one person,” Phasma grumbled. “I have to deal with  _ three _ .” 

Hux frowned in sympathy and gave her a slight squeeze on the arm. “I’m sorry, buddy.”

Phasma shook her head. “No, really, you shouldn’t. These kids aren’t as bad as Kylo.” She hesitated. “You honestly did seem really freaked to be with him.”

“Honestly, Phas, I’m fine,” Hux assured her. “It’s not a big deal at all; it’ll be fine.” He hoped that his nervousness wasn’t showing through in his voice. 

Reaching the library, Phasma spotted her group of goons across the room, all seated in a semi-circle around a table. “Wish me luck,” she whispered to Hux, before trotting off. 

Now alone, Hux lifted himself up on his toes and peered around the room, checking for Kylo.  _ The jerk probably skipped out on me _ . Shaking his head, he went to his usual table and plopped his bag and himself down in a chair. 

_ “Hux.” _

Hux jumped up in his chair and looked around, startled.  _ What the- _

“ _ Hux, over here. Behind you.” _

Hux twisted in his chair to squint down the row of books. At the very end, curled up in one of the lumpy armchairs scattered throughout the library, was a tall figure cloaked in black. Who was giving Hux the biggest shit-eating grin. 

Glaring, Hux stood back up and snatched his bag. He stalked down through the shelves and threw himself down in the chair across from Kylo. “Why are you all the way back here?” he demanded.

Kylo shrugged and stuck a piece of paper in the book he was reading, closing it and setting it on his lap. “I just don’t like sitting in the front. Too many people.” He smiled, baring his sharp teeth. “No one else enjoys sitting back here.”

Hux suppressed a shiver.  _ Oh, boy. _ Ignoring the curl of heat in his stomach, he nodded. ¨I can kind of understand that.¨ He peered around. “It’s pretty dark back here.” The tall windows had thick curtains that looked so ancient and dusty, Hux doubted if they been opened in the past twenty years at all. 

“It makes for better reading light. I hate trying to read with those insufferably bright lights pouring down on me.”   
  


Hux raised his eyebrows.  _ Wow, baddie’s so cool, he’s got a vocabulary. _ Shifting his bag and wrenching his laptop out, he pulled his legs up underneath himself on the chair, getting into a position similar to Kylo’s. Adjusting his computer, he booted it up and, as he was opening a document, he raised his head to speak:

“Alright, so what do you all have to do for homework today?”

Kylo widened his eyes and grinned, letting out a low chuckle. Hux smiled uncomfortably and quirked a brow at Kylo.

“What’s the joke?”

Kylo full-out laughed at that. However, when Hux’s expectant silence continued, the smile slowly slid of Kylo’s face. “Wait, you’re serious?”

Hux scrunched up his face in confusion. “Yeah, I’m serious.” He raised his hands up. “You thought I wasn’t?”

Shrugging, Kylo picked up his book and idly flipped it around in his hands. “I wasn’t really figuring that you’d actually  _ want  _ to try to help me.” He looked over at Hux. “My mother’s hired tutors for me in the past, but they never did much to help.” He paused. “Then again, most of them did get  _ very  _ uneasy around me.”

Ignoring the sly look in Kylo’s eye, Hux said, “Sure, I can understand that. But this was assigned to me by Snoke so I’m going to do it.”

Kylo rolled his eyes. “You’re a bit of a teacher’s pet, aren’t you?”   
  
Hux bristled at that. He had never liked being called a teacher’s pet. “No,” he retorted, “I just have respect for those in authority- I also don’t want to do anything to make him mad,” he finished reluctantly. Gesturing towards Kylo’s backpack, he asked, “Do you have anything to work on in there?”

Sighing dramatically, Kylo bent and unzipped his bag, removing a thick book and a much slimmer notebook. “I’ve got a whole bunch of Algebra II to finish.” 

Hux smiled. “Okay, good! Start working on that and let me know if you have any questions; I took Algebra II a couple of years ago, but I remember most of it pretty well.” Kylo grunted in response and leaned back in his chair, setting his books up across his lap.

Tutoring Kylo Ren was more of a handful than Hux had anticipated. Keeping Kylo on track and focused was more difficult than herding cats. Every two minutes, he would become distracted by something or other, and Hux would have to gently (and sometimes not so gently) remind him of what he was supposed to be working on.

But surprisingly, Kylo never once asked Hux for help. He only asked one question throughout the whole fifty-minute period, and that was an inquiry as to what Hux was typing.

“Oh, this?” Hux turned his computer to face Kylo, who squinted and leaned in. “I’m trying to write my speech for graduation.”

“But graduation isn’t for, like, two more months,” Kylo responded, furrowing his brow. “Why are you working on it so early?”

Hux laughed at that. “Because I’ve already been trying to work on it for about a month and a half at this point and I am absolutely stumped on what to write.” He laughed again, but a note of frustration seeped through. “And it is  _ killing _ me.” He ran his hands through his hair, rumpling it. “I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to talk about!”

Kylo quirked his mouth off to the side and gnawed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. “Hmm… Isn’t the valedictorian speech normally about where we’re all going and our futures and shit?” He twirled his pencil around his fingers and shrugged. “Just say a lot of crap about how we all need to do what we feel is right and how if we follow our dreams, the success will follow.”

Hux sat quietly for a moment, thinking. “That’s not bad,” he finally spoke. He looked up at Kylo. “Thank you.”

When the bell rang at the end of the day, Hux lingered near Kylo, hoping to talk to him a little more. “Do you drive to school?” he asked, trying to remember if he’d ever seen Kylo arriving by vehicle. 

Kylo shook his head. “Nah, I don’t have a car.” He shoved his books inside his bag and zipped it up, slinging the whole thing over his massive shoulder. “I skate most days.”

Hux swallowed harshly.  _ If that isn’t just the most cliché thing ever. _ However, that didn’t prevent his mouth from going dry at the thought of Kylo casually rolling down the street, his dark hair, not constrained by a helmet, fluttering as the wind passed through it. 

“Neat,” he croaked out. 

Kylo grinned. “Yeah, I think so too.” He gave Hux a little wave as he began to walk away. “See you tomorrow, teach.”

“See you tomorrow,” Hux echoed, watching the twitch of Kylo’s hips as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do like this AU and I hate myself for not writing more!!! I put a lot of myself into Hux and it's kind of my goal to write one of the most realistic HS AUs that I can. Oh, and if the third chapter isn't up within a month or so, please come berate me about it. You have my express permission to yell at me until I get my butt into gear :)

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Hux, right?  
> I'm excited to announce that the second chapter has already been started (and that's when the real plot comes into play). If you liked it, leave a kudos or a comment! You guys rock :D


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